


The Lucky Seven and the Two Meant to Be

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M, Friendship, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-20
Updated: 2011-10-20
Packaged: 2017-10-24 19:21:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/266974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“There are seven of them and seven of us, Prentiss. Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Lucky Seven and the Two Meant to Be

**Author's Note:**

> This is the sequel to Just Breathe and it’s entirely underspell102’s fault. She asked if I was considering writing one, I said no, and before I hit *send* practically the whole idea was in my cerebellum. The fic goddesses are funny that way.

They were staying in Birmingham overnight, hampered by a vicious storm. The rain came down in sheets followed by rolling thunder and a spectacular lightning show. The lights were still on in the Holiday Inn where they were staying. They had flickered and dimmed a few times but so far there was no blackout. Aaron Hotchner was restless, had been pacing for almost an hour, but nothing could calm his nerves. It had been nearly two months since he’d stopped seeing Erin Strauss on Wednesday afternoons and his life had yet to return to normal.

She was always coming down to the bullpen, looking around, studying the agents. Some were worried…they feared the wrath of the Section Chief. Hotch’s team paid her little mind. Unless she addressed them directly, they pretended she wasn’t there. Hotch silently endorsed this by doing the same himself.

Strauss spent much of her time harassing poor JJ about money, resources, case choices, and red tape. No one wanted to say they were happy to get out of there but they practically rushed to the plane when Birmingham called. Four men had disappeared and they were afraid they had a serial on their hands. There was nothing good about this case but the tension at Quantico had reached the snapping point.

Hotch saw Strauss with Emily a few times and it scared him to death. She seemed the same as she had six weeks ago except she was quieter. She’d never again offered her shoulder to him, verbally or with body language, and Hotch didn’t ask. He didn’t ask even though the need to reach out to her was palpable. He just kept thinking about what Strauss said. ‘She would never tell a soul and she’ll keep it inside until her soul turns dark and sad and no matter what the light will never return’.

Was that what was happening? He wanted to protect her from that, from the wrath of Erin Strauss and the truth of his own pathology. What he’d done with that woman disgusted Hotch. He would have to live with the consequences of his actions. What he couldn’t live with was Emily never looking at him the same way again. He almost thought he would rather go back to Strauss than to watch Emily lose that light. He’d seen it happen to too many people he loved…he wasn’t going to be responsible for it again.

The knock on his door stopped the pacing. He figured it was Rossi. Sometimes he would come by and play BAU shrink, though Hotch rarely told him much anymore. The company was mostly appreciated; more and more the Unit Chief felt alone. Even if they didn’t talk about anything or Rossi did most of the talking, it was better than being alone. He was surprised to see Emily Prentiss on the other side of the door.

“Hi,” Hotch said.

“Hi. Can I come in?”

“Sure.”

He wanted to say no, wanted to say it was a bad idea, but she never knocked on his door before. She had been on their team over three years now and it never happened. Others had and Hotch always let them in. He had to afford Emily the same luxury. Despite how he acted recently, Hotch always wanted to have an open door policy for his team.

Sometimes he had to be ready for emotional availability, even if he hadn’t shared his own feelings in too long to recall. It was his job as a person and Unit Chief. He was slipping at both. Hotch closed the door, watching Emily come in and sit in the uncomfortable desk chair. She wore faded blue jeans and a Sugarcubes tee shirt. She put her socked feet up on the bed that he wasn’t sleeping in.

“You want a beer?” He asked, walking back into the room. “I had Rossi stop at a Piggily Wiggily on our way back from the police station.”

Emily looked over at the hotel ice bucket and saw three Miller High Lifes poking out. There was a half-full bottle on the desk.

“Yeah,” She nodded. “That sounds good.”

Hotch handed her one, sitting across from her at the desk. He sighed and tried to put on a smile.

“It’s nice to have a night off, isn’t it?” He asked.

“It’d be nicer if I was curled up in my bed with a good book. I was reading earlier but the storm distracted me.”

As if it heard that, the storm rumbled loudly above them. Emily tried not to shiver.

“What are you reading?” Hotch asked. He had to ask something. He didn’t know why she was there. His heart was beating wildly and Hotch knew he had to calm down. He had no idea how.

“ _The Time Traveler’s Wife_ ,” She replied. “It’s the story of star-crossed lovers who meet when the woman is just a little girl. He is moving through time and every time he comes back, she is getting older and he says the same. They finally get together but he doesn’t stop jumping time, and they never know when he will leave her. They have to make use of every single second because they never know when they will be separated again. Its tragically beautiful…I hate that shit.” Emily smirked.

“Then why are you reading it?”

“I don't know. I usually read suspense or political thrillers but my sister read it and she loved it so she pushed it on me. If Jules loved it I figured I probably would. We’ve always shared books.”

“How is it so far?”

“Tragically beautiful…and I love it.”

Hotch smiled a bit, sipping his beer. He leaned back in his chair.

“You could be reading right now, Prentiss. The storm isn’t so bad. I thought we might get a blackout but we’ve been lucky.”

“I couldn’t concentrate. The guys invited me down to the bar for some food and drinks but I didn’t think I’d make the best company tonight.”

“I know the feeling.” Her boss mumbled. He took a deep breath. “You want to talk about it?”

“Talk about what?”

“I don't know, something seems to be on your mind.” Hotch cleared his throat. “You're here so…maybe you want to talk about it.”

“Have you ever read _It_?” Emily asked.

“What?”

“ _It_ , by Stephen King, have you ever read it?”

“I did read that book, a very long time ago. I think it was the year it came out; 1987 I think. Why?”

“The plot reminds me of us, the Lucky Seven. We’re fighting the forces of evil and the ultimate evil.”

“It?”

“Strauss.”

Hotch laughed. It seemed like forever since he laughed. Hearing it made Prentiss smile.

“You're comparing your Section Chief to a killer clown.” He said.

“Pennywise was just the face, like Strauss is the face.” Emily said. “Underneath there is darkness and pain and fear. But the seven kids defeat It.”

“Which one are you?”

“Oh, I'm Bev.”

“ _Your hair is winter fire, January embers; my heart burns there too_.” Hotch recited the haiku from the novel.

She hardly knew what to say. She loved that silly haiku, loved the deepness of it even though it had been writing by a 40something man thinking like a ten year old boy. It never failed to make her smile but also made her sad, thinking about the pangs of unrequited love. Everyone had been there at one point in their lives…some were there right now.

“So, you're Bev. Who’s everyone else?”

“What do you mean?”

“There are seven of them and seven of us, Prentiss. Don’t pretend you haven’t thought about it.”

“Maybe a little,” It was hard to conceal her smile.

“So tell me.” Hotch smiled too and it felt so good to do it.

“You're Bill, the natural leader that we all love, respect, and look to for guidance. You’ll take us to the depths of hell and make sure we all come back but there is a place in you that none of us can ever reach. Not even with all the gentle prodding and love in the world; it’s your place and you just don’t share it.” Emily couldn’t look at him when she said that. She took a deep breath, drank her beer, and kept going.

“Derek is Ben. I know it doesn’t seem like it, Derek Morgan and Haystack, but he was the one who no one was quite sure could lead and he proved himself time and time again. He was the one who built the club house where they used the ancient Indian practices to find out how It came to be. He also made the slugs they used to defeat It. He was the spiritual leader of the team.

“Rossi is Richie, wise-cracking, all-knowing, and thumbing his nose at authority when he gets the chance. Richie was ready to throw down when his friends need him the most. Reid is Eddie, large of mind, slight of body but tough and loving and brave. Sometimes when things go wrong he thinks it’s his fault but we wouldn’t be a complete circle without him. Deep down he knows that too and that’s stronger than any fear. JJ is Stanny…”

“JJ?”

“Hear me out. Stan can be seen as the weakest link and sometimes people believe because JJ isn’t a profiler she may not be as good as the rest of us. Sometimes she’s better. It’s her humanity, her honor, and her bravery that make her who she is. And even when it’s a bad situation, she’s not running away. She’s going right into the fire with the rest of us, profiler or not.”

“That makes Garcia is Mike Hanlon.” Hotch said with a smile.

“She is the oracle, just like Mike was. It’s because of him that they are able to piece together everything they need to know about It. Without Mike they’re just six kids who know something is happening but have no idea how to stop it. When he joins, they have a purpose. Its supposed to be the seven of them; no more, no less.”

“You sound as if you really believe this.”

“Plane rides are long; I think a lot.”

“I remember they called themselves The Losers Club.” Hotch replied.

“That’s what Henry Bowers calls them; they're the Lucky Seven. They get knocked down, a lot, but they win in the end.”

“That’s quite an interesting take on things.”

“Tell me what happened.” Emily said.

“I'm sorry?”

“What did she do to you, Hotch?”

“I don’t know what you're talking about.”

His beer bottle was empty. He went and grabbed another from the ice bucket and put the last two in its place. Hotch was shivering; he knew he needed to get control. If she knew he would have to let her say. This was the game Strauss would play. She would tell Emily just enough to make her worry and have Hotch tell on himself. He wasn’t falling for it…he was keeping his mouth shut.

“Alright,” Emily gave a small nod. She turned away from him and looked out the window at the raging storm. She wondered if they would even be cleared to leave tomorrow morning. According to the National Weather Service, this wasn’t going to let up until after midnight tomorrow.

“Emily…”

It wasn’t often Hotch used her first name; she could count the times on one hand. Usually he just said it kinda offhand, like ‘I agree with Emily’ or ‘Emily, keep going with that train of thought’. The way he said it tonight was different. It was small, quiet, desperate, and afraid.

She didn’t want to push, but sometimes you had to. He needed to open up to someone. It was slowly eating from the inside out and Hotch had been through enough. Explosions, stabbings, and the death of his ex-wife; he didn't need anymore weight on his shoulders before toppling over.

“You need to trust someone, Hotch.” She said. “Maybe it isn’t me, but…”

“I trust you.” He replied quickly. It was true. He trusted her. He had proven that, hadn’t he? Hotch’s mind raced back, forth, and to the center…he was sure he had proven that. He really meant to. “I'm fine.”

“You're not fine. Maybe you will be after you open up but something is going on. Please,” Emily stood and walked over to him. She was just a breath away. “Trust me.”

“Whatever happens, I do it for the seven of us.” Hotch caressed her face. “This team is everything to me. Its one of the few things I have left.”

“You have more than that, Hotch, I promise. You have me; you always have me. Nothing she says or does will ever change that.” Emily wrapped her arms around him and held on. She exhaled when she felt him hold on as well.

There were no words, no that wasn’t true; there were hundreds of words actually. There were probably thousands but Hotch couldn’t find them. He was desperate to know what Strauss told her; knew she told her something. At the same time he couldn’t look her in the eye and admit his role in any of it.

“I want to tell you everything.” He whispered, brushing his lips against her hair. “I just don’t…I could lose you.”

“Never.” Emily held him tight.

“Em…oh Emily,” He stroked her face before gently kissing her lips. The electric current that ran through him caused Hotch to quiver and moan. He pulled her tighter against him, deepening the kiss until Emily moaned too.

Time stood still when he finally kissed her. Emily felt lightheaded, dizzy, but she just held on until it passed. She never wanted it to end; couldn’t bear the thought of leaving his arms. Knowing breath in her lungs would soon be crucial filled Emily with sadness.

“Don’t let go.” She whispered, forehead pressed against his as their kiss slowly faded.

“You're worth holding onto, Emily, even if I'm not.”

“I don’t care, Hotch.”

“What do you mean?” He gently brushed a raven lock behind her ear.

“I don’t care about Strauss or anything that may have happened between you two…”

Hotch’s stomach dropped. His arms fell to his sides and he moved away from her. Emily tried to look into his eyes but he looked away from her.

“What did she tell you?” He asked.

“Does it matter?”

“It does…it truly does. What did she tell you Emily?”

She turned his face with a soft hand and put her arms around him.

“She told me dark things, disgusting things, and she delighted in doing so. I am so sorry at anything you went through at her hands. She said you did it for me; that you probably thought of me the whole time you were with her. She told me that you had to do something to be able to stomach the dark places your mind and body went to.”

“Oh dear God,” Hotch thought he was going to be sick. “You have to go.”

Hotch wanted to get away. He felt like a cat being held too tight by a loving but overwhelming child. He was ready to claw his way out.

“I'm not going anywhere.” Emily’s tone was quiet but defiant.

“Emily…please…”

“Don’t push me away.”

“How could you…after what she told you…?”

“Because I love you, Aaron Hotchner. I love you and have watched you sacrifice time and time again for our family. You do it because you’re brave, honorable and have such a capacity to love even if you don’t always wear it on your sleeve. Strauss tried to bring you down to her level, drag you through the dirt. She may have even threatened your family to keep you in line. You will never be anything like her no matter what she says or does. You walked away from her threats; you took the risk. Take another one Aaron, hold onto me.”

He covered his face with his hands for a moment, pushing the tears away. He was sick of tears and pain. Ever since that psychopath Foyet stabbed him there had been no peace. There had probably been none since the bombing in New York but he had been moving on when the rug was again pulled from under his feet. Hotch had lost nearly everything, including his sanity.

He fell into Erin Strauss’ web because he didn’t have the strength to fight anymore. He was so tired; didn’t even know how he was still fighting the demons. Hotch ran on auto pilot and that scared him as well. A split second off was the difference between life and death in his job. He reached out to Emily, again pulling her body to his. The softness of her made him gasp. The scent of her, Vera Wang Sheer Veil, awoke every sense in him.

“As long as we stay together, we can defeat It.” He said.

“Damn right…lucky seven.” Emily replied. “For always,”

“Doesn’t Bev end up with Ben in the end of the story?” Hotch asked, his lips teasing Emily’s.

“Well, we’re going to go with some literary license on that one, Hotch.”

“Do you really love me, Emily, after all this?”

“After everything,” She said. “I mean that with all my heart and I will always stand by you. She can't have your soul, its mine; and mine is yours.”

“She said it would turn black and sad and the light would never return.” Hotch said.

“It was just one more thing she was wrong about.”

Emily kissed him and Hotch felt the burden lifting from his shoulders. There would be more battles, big battles, but the Lucky Seven would hold on tight and nothing could stop them. He would hold on to her as well. She would share her strength, her heart, and her soul. All he had to do was want it and Hotch didn’t think he had wanted something so much in a long time. The journey home had been long and treacherous but he was there now. Emily kept the fire burning and it warmed him to the core.

***


End file.
